Bedpan support



June

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY w T m W1 6 U1 h c N mu 6 lliii Patented June 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEJMERT A. SWENSON, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO H. D. DOUG-HERTY & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BEDPAN SUPPORT.

Application filed March 17, 1922. Serial No. 544,392.

To all whom 2'2 may concern.-

Be it known that I, I'IEJMERT A. SWENSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Bedpan Supports, of which the following is a specification. 7

In case of illness, particularly where help is scarce as is frequently the case in hospitals, it is desirable that means be provided for supporting and holding certain sick room devices, such as bed-pans, in such position that they may be reached by the patient without the necessity of arising from the bed. This necessity may arise if the occasion for their use should occur at a time when there is no one present to bring such devices to the patient.

My invention has for its object broadly the provision of meanswhich is adapted to be suspended underneath a bed from an underneath portion thereof for supporting a bedpan or other like sanitary devicein position to be easily reached by a patient occupying the bed. i

My invention also has for one of its objects the provision of a supporting means for such devices, which may be readily attached to and detached from the opposite side rails of a bedstead in such position with'respect to the head of the bedstead that the device which the patient may desire to use may readily be reached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container for the bed-pan or other device into which the bed-pan or other device may be placed and which is adapted to be supported by the supporting means. The said container also may be employed for conveying the said bed-pan or other device to a sink or other place where it may be washed and cleaned. The container should be of such material that it may be sterilized by the application of heat thereto without injury.

To this and other ends my invention comprehends the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification and as specified in the claims. However, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms of construction than that shown and that various changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the invention. I

In the drawings Fig. .1 is a perspective View showing portions of the opposite side rails of a bedstead and also showing the bed-pan support and container embodying my invention supported upon the said rails;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the said support with a container therein and showing the side rails of the bedstead in transverse section, and also showing in dotted outline and in side elevation a bedpan within the container;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the container enlarged in order to indicate more clearly the details of construction; 1

Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional View taken on the line H of Fig. 2;

Fig.5 is a perspective view of the container into which the bed-pan is adapted to be placed; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the support for the container detached lfro-ni the bedstead.

li-eferring tothe drawings, 1 and 9. designate the front and rear end portions respectively of the cage-like portion or receptacle of a support which is adapted to receive and support the container which hereinafter will be referred to and described. The said end portions 1 and 2 are of rectangular shape or outline and may consist of fiat strips of metal as shown or of wire or other suitable material, as may be preferred; The said front and rear end portions each comprise top and bottomand side bars or parts as shown. The opposite sides of the said cagelilre portion of the structure for receiving and supporting the container comprise the angle plates 3 and 4; which are secured to the upper and lower corners of the opposite ends of the rectangular-shaped front and rear portions 1 and 2. The front ends of the angle plates 3 and 4 are secured by soldering or otherwise within the angles of the corners of the front end portion 1. The opposite ends of the angle plates overlie the corners of the rear end portion 2' of the support and are secured thereto by soldering or otherwise. By this arrangement it will be observed that the interior of the front end portion of the support, which is rectangular in cross section, is without projections whereby the container may be inserted into the said supporting means from the front end thereof without difficulty. But the front edges of the top and bottom and side bars of the rear end portion 2 constitute abutments to limit the movement of the container real-wardly in the support. In other words, the presence of the rear end member or portion 2 inside of the angle plates 3 and 4 at the opposite sides of the support act as shoulders to limit the rearward movement of the container.

The opposite side bars or parts of the front frame member or portion 1 are extended upwardly and formed into hooks as indicated at 6.

For the purpose of providing a housing for an adjustable rod orbar 1 for co-operating with the hooks 6 to suspend the support from the side rails of a beosteachlhave secured to the top bars of the front and rear members or portions 1 and 2 a tubular housing 11 which may be square as shown or of other shape in cross section as may be preferred. The front end of the said housing abuts against the rear side of the top bar of the front end portion 1 and is secured thereto by soldering or otherwise. The rear end of the tubular housing 11 is secured to the upper side of the top cross bar of the rear end member or portion 2. In order that the tubular housing '11 may occupy a substantially horizontal plane when the supporting device is supported upon the side rails of a bedstead, I have formed an upwardly extending project-ion 12 at the central portion of the top cross bar of the rear end portion to which the rear end of the said tubula' member is secured by soldering or otherwise. The front end portion of the ad ustable rod projects into the tubular housing 11 and front end of the said rod 10 a square-shaped head 13 which is adapted to it and slide back and forth within the said, housing. The outer end of the adjustable rod 10 is provided with a hook as indicated at 15.

The hooks 6 and 15 at the front and rear ends of the supporting device are adapted to engage the opposite side rails 16 of a bedstead.

The presence of the head'13 upon the inner front end of the adjustable rod 10 prevents the withdrawalof the said rod from the tubular housing 11.

In Fig. 2 the rod 10 is shown in full lines in extended position with the hooks 6 and 15 in engagement with the side rail 16 and in dotted lines in collapsed or shortenedpoa box 20, the front end of which is adapted to be opened and closed by a door 21 which is hingedly connected by means of a pivot pin 22 to the front end of the lower side of the said box. The door is provided at its lower edge with an extension 22 which when the said door is opened is adapted to contact with the underside of the front end portion of the bottom of the container so that said door is held thereby in a sub stantially horizontal open position.

The top and sides of the container are provided adjacent their front ends with in wardly extending flanges 23 against which the door 21 is adapted to contact or to be seated when in closed position as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. The door is provided at its opposite ends and top edge with outwardly extending flanges 21. The contact of these flanges with the inner sides of the adjacent opposing end portions of the top and sides of the box produces a tighter clo sure than would otherwise be produced upon the closing of the door. The contact of the door 21 with the flanges 23 also tends to produce a more complete or tighter closure.

For the purpose of retaining the door in closed position, I l1ave 'provided a thin plate 25 which is secured to the top side of the central front end portion of the top of the 'bOX 20. The forward part of the said plate is bent or turned to form'a substantially tubular terminating end portion 26 which is adapted to engage the forward edge of the flange 21 at the top edge of the door 21.

The door is provided with a handle or knob 27 by means of which it may be readily opened and closed.

For the purpose of facilitating the carr ing or handling of the container consisting of the box 20 with the bed-pan or other device therein, T have provided a handle 28 secured to the top of the said box at a point nearer the front end than the rear end there of so that when the said box is held or suspended by the handle it inclines toward the rear so that there is no danger of the contents of'the said bed-pan or other device spilling out of the front end thereof or of the front end of the said box.

In the employment of the support embodying my invention it is placed in position with the opposite ends thereof suspended from the opposite side rails of a bedstead or other like structure in adjacent relation to the head of the bed so that when the container is placed in position within the container or receptacle receiving portion of the support the bed-pan or other device contained therein may be readilyaccessible to a patient who may be occupying the bed.

I3 vi.

Such patient, in case the necessity for using the device should arise, may, with one hand, open the door 21, remove the bed-pan or other device therefrom and make such use of it as may be necessary and thereafter return the same to the container 20 and close the door 21.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle for receiving and holding a container, said receptacle having relatively stationary means at one end for suspending the said'end from a suitable support and also having a tubular member secured to its upper side and extending longitudinally thereof, and a rod extending into the said tubular member and having slidable engagement therewith, the said rod projecting from the said tubular member at the opposite end of said receptacle and being adapted to suspend the said opposite end from a suitable support; o

2; In a device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive a container, said receptacle having hooks secured to one end portion thereof and also having a tubular member secured thereto and extending longitudinally thereof, a rod extending into and having slidable engagement with the said tubular member terminating at its outer end in a hook portion.

3. In a-device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle for receiving and holding a container, said receptacle having hook means at one end thereof for suspending the same and also having a tubular member secured to its upper side and extending longitudinally thereof, a rod extending into said tubular member and having adjustable connection therewith, the said rod terminating at its outer end in a hook portion, and means for preventing rotation of said rod in the said tubular member.

v4t. In a device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive and hold a container, the front and rear end portions of said receptacle comprising top and bottom and side bars and the sides of said receptacle comprising top and bottom angle plates secured to the corners of the said front and end portions, the opposite sides of the front end portion terminating at their upper ends in hooks, a tubular member secured to the top bars of the said front and rear end portions, a rod extending into the said tubular member and having adjustable connection therewith, said rod terminating at its outer end in a hook portion.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle for receiving and holding a container, the front and rear end portions of the said receptacle comprising top and bottom and side bars and the sides of said receptacle comprising angle plates, the front ends of which are secured within the angles between the top and bottom and side bars of the said front end portion and the rear ends thereof secured upon the outside of the angles between, the top and bottom and side bars of the rear end portion, a tubular member secured to the top bars of the front and rear end portions, a rod extending into the said tubular memher and having adjustable connection there with, and means for preventing the turning of said rod in said tubular member.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle for receiving and holding a container, the said receptacle being provided with hooks extending upwardly from the opposite corners of its front end and being also provided with a tubular member which is secured to its upper side and which extends longitudinally thereof, a rod projecting into the rear open end of said tubular member, said rod being provided with a head of a shape to slidably fit the interior of the said tubular member whereby the said rod is rendered adjustable with respect to said tubular member and the said rod terminating at its outer end in a hook,'the said hooks being adapted to engage supports situated a distance from each other whereby the said receptacle, may be suspended from said supports.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto signed my name this 14 day of March 1922.

I-IEJMERT A. SWENSON. 

